Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1921)

14 MOVING PICTURE AGE July, 1921 was so instrumental in restoring him to the grace of the Heavenly Blessing. In the first place, "When Dawn Came" will be enjoyed because it is absolutely new — which means both that the photography has the benefit of all of the recent mechanical developments and that the film is physically perfect. Aside from these features, Avhich are the fruit of happenstance, the him is an exceptionally excellent production : the work of the characters is a professional grade of interpretation ; and the scenes, while not prodigally elaborate, are always skillfully prepared and more than competent to maintain the desired atmosphere. The fact that "When Dawn Came" is a Catholic picture is evident because of the characters and the surroundings, but this point is maintained in such an unobtrusive and dignified way that few Protestants would be offended by the religious character of the film. "Make Me a Child Again, Just for Tonight!" SUMMER is the child's time of joy, and why should not the pirating small boy and the fairystorying small girl enjoy their meed of consideration as we cull the archives for films that carry the romantic breath of the milder months? So I doffed my dignity, hied me to Film Row, and ordered forth a trio of favorites that have inspired many a gleaming eye and a caught breath amongst the kiddies: "Treasure Island," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Cinderella." "Treasure Island" You will remember from Stevenson's book that, "Of all the crew that sailed alive, not one came back of seventy-five," which would suggest that the intervals between funerals were not monotonously long ; and this three-reel film follows the context of the book in the number of untimely demises. For this reason the picture is best suited to a group of boys of about the Captain Kidd age, rather than to an audience of boys and girls. As the story deals with pirates and their ways, I hesitate to recommend specific cuts lest these detract from the story's atmosphere. Give the film a preliminary run and cut where you will. The rollicking, adventuresome spirit that permeated the novel has been reasonably achieved in this interpretation, but that spirit will be unimpressive except to the imagination of the growing boy. "Hansel and Gretel" Do you remember the story of Hansel and Gretel — how the discouraged mother tried to lose her little tots in the forest, but they found their way home again after thrilling experiences at the house of the witch, whom they destroyed by pushing her into the hot oven she had prepared for them? Two of the cutest little tots play the roles of Hansel and Gretel, and I heartily enjoyed watching their peregrinations as they tried to escape the direful machinations of the old hag. The story is engagingly portrayed, with a charming simplicity that becomes the fairy tale, and the children will delight in seeing the old story acted before them. "Cinderella" And "Cinderella" — who of us need be told that immortal story? Suffice it to say that the Prince and the ball and the fairy godmother and the glass slipper are all present to entrance the hearts of the youngsters, and that the film will vitalize the fairy tale in a manner that was unheard of when you and I read fairy stories. I would not rate this production on a par with "Hansel and Gretel," but it contains distinct merit for juvenile programs. The three films discussed are not new films, but they serve to indicate that many good pictures lie unnoticed on the shelves because exhibitors often will accept only the newer productions. The little girl who gazes wideeyed at the terrifying pilgrimages of Hansel and Gretel will care not a whit if the picture were produced in the days of Noah. These pictures are distributed by the Lea-Bel Company, 804 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago. On the N. A. C. T. Convention THE NINTH annual convention of the National Association of Corporation Training held session at Niagara Falls, June 6-10. One of the most important features of the convention, and the best attended, was the reading of the report of the Committee on Visualized Training, which occupied an entire morning. The conclusions formulated in the report are significant, and may be summarized as follows: (1) Industrial-training films must provide a more satisfactory combination of the technical processes of the particular subject and of the proper pedagogical manner of presentation, in order to attain the best results; (2) very few, if any, films have been presented that might properly be called industrial-training films; (3) the work is handicapped by the lack of adequate distribution facilities ; (4) the real value of the films should not be dissipated by purchasing cheap or inadequate projection equipment; (5) the industrial-training field contains little experimental data on the methods of using films for instructional purposes, and conclusions must be formulated through individual efforts. The films here mentioned were used, in whole or in part, for demonstration purposes: General Propaganda, "Manufacture of American Rolling Mill Company Iron," Rothacker Film Manufacturing Company; Employee Propaganda, "Waste Won't Win," Bray Studios; Advertising, "Blue Monday," Harry Levey Service Corporation ; Motion Analysis (by use of ultra-rapid camera), "Athletic Subjects," Novograph ; Sales Demonstration, "The Porcelain Lamp," Harry Levey Service Corporation ; Sales Instruction, "Retail Selling," Bray Studios ; Shop Assembly Routine, "Electric Iron Assembly," Harry Levey Service Corporation ; General Instruction, "Elements of the Automobile," Bray Studios, and "Motor Car Vacuum Feed," "Course of Diverted Water at Niagara Falls," and "Induction Motor Operation," Harry Levey Service Corporation. A Film for Rural Communities "OPRING Valley," a film depicting the constructive )^ service of the County Farm Bureaus in Illinois, had its preliminary showing in Chicago early in June. The picture is produced as one feature of the Illinois Agricultural Association's move to establish a library of appropriate films available for exhibition at the meetings of the county bureaus. In the film the young man gives up his city employment and returns to the farm with definite ideas as to efficiency. His attention is drawn to the work of the local farm bureau, and he is quick to appreciate the value of this expert assistance for farmers. Many of the latter are slow to respond until they see how tangibly their neighbors have been aided through membership in the organization, and this young man is prominent in converting the obdurate ones. A love element is woven in to enhance the narrative, and also many definite examples are shown of the ways in which the farmers are assisted by the farm-bureau experts. The film is thoroughly enjoyable and informative, and will prove of genuine interest for any rural community.